Humidor Seasoning

[martinman]

Hi Everyone,

This is kind of an update from my last thread... I found that my thompson didn't seal that well, so I bought another one from BargianHumidors (CEO 100ct). I'm in the process of seasoning it now. I read previous threads and found that there was different schools of thought on how to do it. I've taken the path of a shot glass of distilled water plus the 2 oz. of 65% hum. beads (in their original 'test tube' container from heartfelt). The shot glass has been in there since Friday, and I opened it on Sunday to add the beads (which were all clear). I figured the more humidity the better - I wasn't anticipating the breads to have to regulate the box.

The current reading is 56%-57% humidity (it's remained steady today, but it was climbing at about 1%/day). Again, after reading past threads, it seems that asking both to humidify the entire box w/o any sticks is way to much. I just want to make sure that I'm doing this properly. In the reading that I've done, the predominant opinion is to wait to atleast 70% humidity before adding anything. I'm assuming that my low humidity reading is due to alot of empty space in the humi? I'm probably going to let it go until next week - I have sticks coming from golfgar in a noob trade about that time too. So, the timing works nicely.

thanks,
mm

 

[puffnstuff]

Again, after reading past threads, it seems that asking both to humidify the entire box w/o any sticks is way to much.

Well, the difference is that you're trying to humidify dry wood right now, so it's better to have nothing else in the box while seasoning.
Plus, the dry wood could/would suck the humidity our of whatever cigars you put in there.
The ideology behind the easier humidifying of a full humidor is more about stability once you’ve got it at a desired RH level.

Ideally, since I assume you're having to actually open your humidor to check the RH level (ie. you don't have a glass-top humidor or a hygrometer with external remote sensors), try to open it as infrequently as possible.

Another thing to consider; if/when your humidor reaches 70% with nothing in it but the shot glass of distilled water and your beads, your beads will probably be completely saturated, and will thus have no ability to suck out excess humidity from humidor.
Since you have 65% beads, you might want to take those out of your humidor while seasoning it.
Once your box hits ~70%, then add the (dry) 65% beads and some cigars.

 

[Allofus123]

If the beads have been in there since last friday they have most likely already absorbed their fill and will not do anything until the enviroment drops below 65. Since the beads will regulate at 65 I would pull the shot glass out at 65 and put your sticks in.... leave the beads. What little bit, if any, seasoning remaining to be done will draw from the beads.

 

[puffnstuff]

If the beads have been in there since last friday they have most likely already absorbed their fill and will not do anything until the enviroment drops below 65. Since the beads will regulate at 65 I would pull the shot glass out at 65 and put your sticks in.... leave the beads. What little bit, if any, seasoning remaining to be done will draw from the beads.

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there are probably a number of ways to go about getting the humidor stable to stabilize at 65% from this point, but if the beads are already saturated, and the box is currently reading in at 57% with the shot glass still in it, then it sounds like the wood isn't quite seasoned yet. it's still absorbing the humidity.
if he wants his humidor to be stable at 65% before putting cigars into it, and the wood is currently holding less than 57% (a fair assumption since the humidor is getting a current reading of 56%-57% with the shot glass and saturated beads in it), wouldn't relying on 65% beads to pull a humidor at 57% up to 65% be a lot to ask of the beads (depending on the quantity of beads he's got in there)? they're already not doing that job.

all of this is, of course, under the assumption that his hygrometer is reading accurately.

 

[martinman]

I put the beads in completly saturated. My thinking was that the box would absorb alot of the moisture out of the beads. The shot glass is in there for extra measure.

I have a wireless hydrometer, but I've probably opened it 2-3 times to check on things since I started.

Are the beads hurting anything by being in there? I assume that once they become saturated that the humidity will continue to rise. Anyway, it seems as if I have a long way to go.

Actually, the other thing I though about was wiping down the insides with a bit of distilled. However, there seems to be quite a divide between people.

 

[martinman]

all of this is, of course, under the assumption that his hygrometer is reading accurately.

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Sure is, I salt tested 3x to get a proper reading - it's 4%-5% low.

 

[puffnstuff]

Anyway, it seems as if I have a long way to go.

not necessarily.
patience is the key. when I seasoned my 150 count desktops, it took over a week to get them up to 70%-ish with no cigars in them.
once the wood is good and seasoned, the pace at which the RH rises (with a source of humidity inside, such as a shot glass full of distilled water) seems to speed up exponentially.

 

[Allofus123]

....wouldn't relying on 65% beads to pull a humidor at 57% up to 65% be a lot to ask of the beads (depending on the quantity of beads he's got in there)? they're already not doing that job.

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I don't think you read what I said..... I said pull the shot glass out after the humi reaches 65 and allow the beads to regulate it from there.

BTW.... it is possible to "reset" the point at which your beads will regulate. Its important not to leave them in an enviroment to far outside their "set" point for an extended amount of time.

IMO, if you are getting a 1% rise each day you are doing just fine. Pull the shot glass at 65 (leaving the beads) and you'll be good to go.

 

[puffnstuff]

....wouldn't relying on 65% beads to pull a humidor at 57% up to 65% be a lot to ask of the beads (depending on the quantity of beads he's got in there)? they're already not doing that job.

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I don't think you read what I said..... I said pull the shot glass out after the humi reaches 65 and allow the beads to regulate it from there.

ah. you're right. I misread what you wrote. sorry about that.

and I'd agree, that's a perfectly logical way to get the humidor stabile at 65%.

 

[puffnstuff]

BTW.... it is possible to "reset" the point at which your beads will regulate. Its important not to leave them in an enviroment to far outside their "set" point for an extended amount of time.

that's good to know. I've assumed that they are packaged completely dry, and that they're manufactured to always be set-up for 65% or 70%, respectively, regardless of the environment they're stored in.

 

[mhortsch]

Place the humidor inside a cooler with a small bowl of water inside the humidor and small bowl outside the humidor. Close the lid on the cooler (leave the lid on the humidor propped open), dont even look at it for a week.

Pull the humi out, place the beads in, let sit for aco uple days (RH will be newar 80%), the beads will regulate (if they are dry first).

Walla- works perfect everytime, no questions asked.

(Courtesy of JOE.M)

 

[puffnstuff]

Walla- works perfect everytime, no questions asked.

or "voilà"?
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

sounds like that technique would work, too, mhortsch.

see, martinman? plenty of ways to go about this. :thumbs:

 

[BlindedByScience]

BTW.... it is possible to "reset" the point at which your beads will regulate. Its important not to leave them in an enviroment to far outside their "set" point for an extended amount of time.

Hmm...I was led to believe that it was the chemical composition of the beads that determined the RH they'd regulate to; while you could dry them out / get them too wet they would eventually regulate to their "design limit" for RH. If their RH limit is "squishy", how could you ever count on them to regulate anything?

Maybe Viper will check in and clear this up...

Cheers - B.B.S.

 

[CoventryCat86]

Walla- works perfect everytime, no questions asked.

or "voilà"?
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

sounds like that technique would work, too, mhortsch.

see, martinman? plenty of ways to go about this. :thumbs:

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Yeah, if you go back to the thread where Joe posted that, I TRIED my best to bust his chops but I think I spelled "voila" wrong :laugh:

Some friggin Grammarian I am, huh? :sign:

 

[emodx]

Walla- works perfect everytime, no questions asked.

or "voilà"?
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

sounds like that technique would work, too, mhortsch.

see, martinman? plenty of ways to go about this. :thumbs:

[snapback]184338[/snapback]​

Yeah, if you go back to the thread where Joe posted that, I TRIED my best to bust his chops but I think I spelled "voila" wrong :laugh:

Some friggin Grammarian I am, huh? :sign:

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I gotcha back Bill. Voila isn't English, therefore you can not be held responsible for correctness.

Emo

 

[puffnstuff]

Walla- works perfect everytime, no questions asked.

or "voilà"?
(sorry, I couldn't resist)

sounds like that technique would work, too, mhortsch.

see, martinman? plenty of ways to go about this. :thumbs:

[snapback]184338[/snapback]​

Yeah, if you go back to the thread where Joe posted that, I TRIED my best to bust his chops but I think I spelled "voila" wrong :laugh:

Some friggin Grammarian I am, huh? :sign:

[snapback]186973[/snapback]​

haha!
:laugh:

hey CC, at least you recognized that his was incorrect!